Per
A masculine Scandinavian name derived from a Norse word meaning "rock" or "stone".
Name Census estimates that about 325 living Americans carry the first name Per. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Per today is around 50 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Per births was 1963 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Per. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
325
~ 1 in 1,054,629 Americans
Peak year
1963
14 babies that year
Average age
50
years old
2020 SSA rank
#13,551
Tracked since 1923
Popularity
Per: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Per from the 1920s through to the 2020s, spanning 10 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 111 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Per by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Per during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Per
The name Per is derived from the Latin word 'Petrus', which means 'rock' or 'stone'. It is believed to have originated from the Ancient Greek name 'Petros', which also carries the same meaning. The name Per is predominantly found in Scandinavian countries, particularly in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark.
During the Middle Ages, the name Per gained popularity across Northern Europe, possibly due to the influence of the Catholic Church and the veneration of Saint Peter, one of the apostles of Jesus Christ. The name was widely used among Christians in the region, and it is believed that it was introduced to Scandinavia through Christian missionaries.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Per can be found in the Icelandic Sagas, which date back to the 13th century. The Saga of Erik the Red, for example, mentions a character named Per Eindridisson, who was a prominent chieftain in Greenland during the late 10th century.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Per. One of the most famous was Per Brahe (1520-1590), a Swedish nobleman and statesman who served as the Lord High Constable of Sweden during the reign of King Gustav I. Another prominent figure was Per Daniel Amadeus Atterbom (1790-1855), a Swedish Romantic poet and philosopher who played a significant role in the Swedish literary movement known as the Gothic Renaissance.
In the field of science, Per Teodor Cleve (1840-1905) was a Swedish chemist who discovered the elements holmium and thulium. Per Albin Hansson (1885-1946), on the other hand, was a Swedish politician who served as the Prime Minister of Sweden from 1932 to 1946 and played a crucial role in establishing the Swedish welfare state.
The name Per has also been associated with notable figures in the arts and entertainment industry. Per Olov Enquist (1934-2020) was a Swedish author and playwright known for his works exploring themes of identity and belonging. Per Gedda (1944-2011) was a Swedish operatic tenor who had a successful international career, performing in major opera houses around the world.
These are just a few examples of the many individuals throughout history who have carried the name Per. While its popularity has ebbed and flowed over the centuries, the name continues to be widely used in Scandinavia, carrying with it a rich cultural heritage and historical significance.
People
Per + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Per as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with P
Other first names starting with P with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Per: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Per?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 325 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Per going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,054,629 US residents.
Is Per a common name?
We classify Per as "Very Rare". It ranks above 80.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 369 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Per most popular?
The single biggest year for Per was 1963, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Per is about 50 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Per a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Per in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.